Submarine craft



Dec. 3, 1968 J. PICARD 3,413,947

SUBMARINE CRAFT Filed April 26, 1967 a Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 3, 1968 JPlcARD 3,413,947

SUBMARINE CRAFT Filed April 26,. 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 3, 1968 J.PICARD 3,413,947

SUBMARINE CRAFT Filed April 26, 1967 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United StatesPatent 20 Claims. (01. 114-16) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A submarinecraft comprising a hull having at least one independent water-tightelement adapted to withstand the external ambient pressure, at least oneof said elements having the general shape of a torus which may be formedby a plurality of sections of any shape such as, for example, rings ofcircular section, at least some of said rings being similar to eachother, the surface of each ring having, in its section perpendicular tothe generator circle of the torus located in the central plane of thering, a curvature having its concavity directed towards the center ofsaid circle and the radius of which is less than that of the equatorialcircle of the torus, the surfaces of the rings being those of a torus, acylinder or a sphere.

The present invention is concerned with a submarine craft, comprising atleast one water-tight hull capable of resisting a high externalpressure, the said water-tight hull having the general shape of a torus.

A device according to the invention has a large number of advantages: itis very easy to handle; its accommodation is excellent; it can veryeasily be equipped in various ways; it provides maximum safety for thenavigating staff.

According to one form of construction, the hull having the general shapeof a torus can be manufactured in sections, which overcome difficultiesof manufacture and consequently causes the cost price to be considerablyreduced.

The toric shape further enables the water-tight bull to be formed ofrings having the same general shape, some of these rings having openingsfitted with portholes, doors for communication with the ambient medium,water-tight passages for electric wires, etc. This method ofconstruction of the hull makes it possible to manufacture in a singleblock only parts which are considerably shorter than the submarine craftand which thus do not necessitate very powerful equipment. In addition,these parts, provided with their openings, reinforcements, etc., can betested to a high external pressure by means of a caisson of relativelysmall size which is therefore easy to construct.

It is known to employ spheres or cylinders with circular sections inorder to produce chambers capable of withstanding considerable externalpressures. However, these constructions have not proved satisfactory forsubmarine craft intended to be navigated while remaining at considerabledepths for fairly long periods, and to carry out under these conditionsmissions which necessitate the transport and the use of substantialequipment.

In accordance with the present invention, the properties of strength ofa spherical chamber in its resistance to external pressures are utilizedso as to obtain a submarine craft which complies with theabove-mentioned conditions.

In brief, the present invention relates to a submarine craft comprisingat least one hull having the general shape of a torus. The said torusmay be constituted by a certain number of portions. joined to each otherin a fluid-tight manner with respect to the external pressure.

Other advantages and characteristic features will be brought out in theaccompanying drawings and the description relating thereto, showingdiagrammatically and by way of non-limitative examples, several forms ofembodiment of the invention.

In the drawing FIGS. 1 and 2 are very diagrammatic views of a firstwater-tight hull, shown respectively in axial cross-section and in plan.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an alternative form of the device shown in FIG.2.

FIG. 4 shows in axial cross-section a water-tight hull in the form of atorus, the axis of which intersects the generator circle.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an example of construction of a submarine craft withwater-tight hulls.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate respectively in vertical and horizontalcross-sections, a further example of construction of a device.

The water-tight hull shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has the shape of an annulartorus 10 having an axis 1212. It may be made up of eight segments 14,16, .18, 20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 for example, com-prised between planessuch as 30 and 32, passing through the axis 1212. and forming dihedralangles such as 34, equal to one-eighth of a revolution, or 45. Thejoining together of adjacent segments is effected along their limitingplanes such as 30, 32, for example, by means of bolted reinforcementsand fluid-tight packings. Any other method of assembly may however beutilized, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

The mean utiliz-able length L being definitely greater than the overalllength of the device, its maneuverability has proved excellent ascompared with known devices.

The hull shown in FIG. 3 differs from that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 inthat the segments such as 38, 40 which form it, each has the shape of aportion of a cylinder and not a portion of a torus. These cylinderportions can be obtained by simply winding a sheet of metal, and arecoupled together by elliptical flanges.

The water-tight hull shown in axial cross-section in FIG. 4 has the formof a torus the axis of which intersects the generator circle.

The innermost part of the geometric torus, shown in broken lines, nolonger exists and in. order to compensate for its resistance to externalpressure, a central pillar 46 is provided.

Hulls of generally toric shapes, such as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4,may constitute per se the hulls of a submarine craft.

For example, it is possible to house propulsion equipment in one or twocompartments 14, 16 or alternatively in opposite compartments 14, 22(see FIG. 2), the other compartments being reserved for occupation,scientific instruments, armament equipment, etc. In addition, one of thecompartments may be utilized as a pressurized airlock so as to enabledivers to install themselves there before and between missions. Alock-chamber of this kind will be described in greater detail in thedescription which follows.

In order that a hull such as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 may serve as asubmarine craft, it would only be necessary to enclose it wholly orpartly in a protective casing, not shown in the drawings, which may beof strong transparent material. This external protection serves toprevent direct shocks on the hull which may cause dents or bosses andmay thus considerably reduce its local resistance to the externalpressure, it being understood that the protective casing is designed soas to be rigid or flexible, and that water at the same pressure iscontinuously present inside and outside the said casing.

The device may furthermore be provided with a base- 19 plate or otherdevice mounted on one or more shockabsorber members so as to permit itto land without shocks on the bottom of the sea.

A retractable device of the snorkel type (as will be described later),projectors, etc., may also be provided.

FIGS. and 6 show by way of example and in greater detail, a further formof construction of the submarine craft according to the invention.

In this case, the water-tight hull is made-up of rings numbered from 48to 65, each having the shape of a portion of a sphere. With theexception of those having the reference numbers 48 and :9, these ringsare limited by planes passing through the axis of the torus; they ter-'minate along these planes in flanges which permit them to be boltedtogether through the intermediary of a watertight packing. Suitablereinforcements are provided at the level of the flanges in order toensure perfect local and general strength of the device.

By virtue of the shape as parts of spheres, the thickness necessary forthe rings is only half that which would be necessary if they weresections of a cylinder of the same diameter. In spite of the necessityfor coupling flanges and their reinforcements, the gain in weight ascompared with a hull of truly toric shape is very substantial.

The rings 48 and 49 each form a spherical portion more complete than theothers so as to be separated from the remainder of the toric hull bybulkheads capable of withstanding the pressure. Their internal space canbe put under pressure until it reaches the pressure of the externalwater in which it is contemplated that divers will have to work. Insidethe remainder of the fluid-tight hull, atmospheric pressure is generallymaintained.

The assembly of the rings 48 and 49 thus constitutes a pressurizedlock-chamber. This lock-chamber is provided for the occupation of diversor oceanauts, which live there for long periods in an atmosphere underpressure containing, for example, oxygen and helium. If this pressure issufficiently close to that of the surrounding external water, the diversare able, without any troublesome precautions, to come and go betweenthe water and the lock-chamber through a water-tight panel 68. it isalso possible to maintain the internal space of the rings at anover-pressure, for example in order to etlect the decompression of theoceanauts when the craft is on the surface.

This lock-chamber also comprises: a further door 70 furnishing access tothe remainder of the water-tight hull; a small water-tight lock-chamber72 for the exchange of objects, food, etc.; a compressor 74 for thesupply of breathable gas to the divers operating outside the craft, andany other equipment considered necessary for the operation to beundertaken.

The spherical caps at the extremities of the lock-chamber may, forexample, be slightly less thick than the rings constituting theremainder of the hull, because they work under the internal pressure,contrary to the rest of the habitable portion, which is subjected to anexternal pressure.

As has also been mentioned above, a water-tight lockchamber can beincorporated in a toric hull such as that of FIGS. 1 to 4.

The remainder of the water-tight hull may, for example, be arranged inthe following manner, starting from the lock-chamber and turning in aclockwise direction:

A compartment 73 for electrical and electronic instruments;

A cabin 75 with six bunks and a toilet, also containing a reserve 77 oflithium hydroxide for the chemical purification of the air;

Heat-insulated chambers 76, '78, containing respective ly acryogenerator which serves to eliminate the impurities in the atmosphereby condensation and freezing, and a refrigerator for the preservation ofdeep-frozen food; a

kitchen is provided between these chambers and the part of the hullclose to the axis;

A living-room with emergency lock-chamber 80 providing a rapid outlet;

An observation post 75 a piloting station 81 and a second observationpost 83, with their respective portholes 82, 84 and 86.

The hull can obviously be arranged in a different manner, as appropriateto the mission to be carried out.

The submarine craft may be constituted for example by this hull only. Inthis case, one or more rings 50, 51, may form the motor compartmentintended to supply the electric motors which drive the propellers 94, 96and 98 (see FIG. 6). A craft of this kind is also provided with aprotective casing and a landing device.

Tests have shown however that the maneuverability of the craft is onlyvery slightly reduced by extending it so as to give it a general shapesuch as that shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The craft shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is also provided with an auxiliarywatertight hull 88. This is formed of portions of spheres, but it couldalso be cylindro-spherical.

inside the hull 83 there are also provided an electric generating set9t) intended to operate at atmospheric pressure, and an air compressor91. A tube 92 of the socalled snorkel type provides the supply of air tothe set and the evacuation of the combustion gases when the submarine ison the surface or submerged at small depths. The snorkel 92 is shownfolded back on the submarine, which is the position it occupies duringdiving.

The submarine craft comprises elements which can resist the surroundingpressure during submersion, and which are generally housed inside theprotection casing described above and/or inside fairings or casingswhich are not adapted to resist the pressure. These elements areessentially:

Horizontal-shaft propellers for propulsion and maneuvering at reducedspeed, such as 94 and 96, with electric motors;

Vertical-shaft propellers such as 98 with electric motor, for moving thesubmarine vertically;

Electric accumulators in the space 100 surrounded by the toric hull;

Cylinders of compressed gas, such as 102; these cylinders are re-chargedon the surface by the compressor 91 and serve, during diving, for theoperation of the ballast tanks and the external working tools of theoceanauts;

An electric generating buoy 104 which can be released from the submarinewhile being coupled thereto by a cable wound on a winch 106; this buoyis intended to operate on the surface when the submarine is resting onthe sea bottom, as the snorkel cannot then be employed. The cable iscapable of withstanding the tensile pull due to the buoy; it comprisesin particular a pipe for fuel-oil and wires to bring the energygenerated to the submarine, and to control the operation of the electricgenerating set of the buoy;

Tanks, ballasts, ballast-tanks, remote-controlled tools, projectors,cameras, life-boats, equipment for carryingout programs of work,together with a mercury balancing device with cylinders 108, 110, etc.

The submarine is also equipped with a landing device preferablycomprising one or a number of damping members in order to ensure that itcan land gently on the sea bottom.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show very diagrammatically, by way of example, a form ofconstruction of the submarine craft according to the invention, which isparticularly advantageous.

The whole of the toric hull 112 is intended to be kept internally atatmospheric pressure. The pressurized lockchamber 114 has a water-tighthull consisting of a series of portions of spheres, the centers of whichare in a straight line. Communication for the personnel with the torichull is efiected by a transfer lock-chamber 116 with a small lock 118for food, for example. The hull 120 for the electric generating set issimilar to that shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 but is arranged transversely tothe axial plane of the submarine.

This submarine craft comprises an evacuation sphere 122 communicatingwith the hull 112 by a lock-chamber in two parts 124, 126, assembledtogether along a diametral plane by bolted flanges.

In the event of accident, the personnel shut themselves inside thesphere 122 after having unbolted the flanges in question, contact withthe hull being maintained by the pressure of the surrounding water.After having closed the doors of the lock-chamber 124, 126, thesurrounding water is permitted to enter this chamber, thus removing theforce which applies the two parts against each other. The sphere thenrises to the surface.

The submarine craft described may be modified without departing from thescope of the present invention. In particular, it is possible to build acraft comprising a number of toric hulls connected to each other by aspherical lock-chamber for example, or again by the direct attachment ofone section of a toric hull to that of the other.

What I claim is:

1. A submarine craft comprising a hull including at least oneindependent water-tight element having an outer external surface theentirety of which is exposed to the pressure of the ambient medium, saidexternal surface of at least one of said elements having the shape of anannular torus for withstanding the external ambient pressure.

2. A submarine craft comprising a hull including at least oneindependent water-tight element having an outer external surface theentirety of which is exposed to the pressure of the ambient medium, saidexternal surface of at least one of said elements having the shape of anannular torus for withstanding the external ambient pressure, saidannular torus element being constituted by a plurality of rings ofcircular sections, at least some of said rings being similar to eachother, the surface of each ring having, in a section perpendicular tothe generator circle of the torus located in the central plane of thering, a curvature having its concavity directed toward the center ofsaid circle and the radius of which is less than that of the equatorialcircle of the torus.

3. A submarine craft as specified in claim 1 wherein said element in theshape of a torus is constituted of a plurality of sections and framesand flanges for joining said sections.

4. A submarine craft as specified in claim 3 wherein a first element hasthe general shape of a torus, the pressure within said element beingapproximately the normal atmosphere pressure, and at least one otherelement is provided and is independent of said first element and ispressurized at the approximate pressure of the ambient medium, saidsecond element being constituted by a plurality of spherical portionsjoined together in a water-tight manner, and means providingcommunication between said first element and said second element.

5. A submarine craft comprising a hull including one independentwater-tight element for withstanding the external ambient pressure onits entire external surface, said element having the general shape of atorus constituted by sections and frames and reinforced flanges forsecuring said sections together to ensure water-tight and pressurewithstanding junctions between said sections; a first part of saidelement being pressurized at approximately the ambient water pressure, asecond part of said element being non-pressurized and having normally aninternal pressure approximating normal atmospheric pressure andcomprising living and working compartments for the crew, said first partbeing in direct communication with the ambient water and in indirectcommunication with said second part and with the engine compartment,means for actively connecting said engine compartment to propulsionmeans mounted externally of said element, a retractable snorkel for saidengine compartment, and an escapelock chamber joined to said water-tightelement and communicating with an independent spherical escape element,a shock resistant and transparent protective casing for the hull andmeans to permit landing of the craft on the seabottom.

6. A submarine craft comprising a hull including one independentwater-tight element for withstanding the external ambient pressure onits entire external surface, said element having the general shape of atorus constituted by sections, and frames and reinforced flanges forsecuring said sections together to ensure water-tight and pressurewithstanding junctions between said sections, a first part of saidelement housing the living and working compartments of the crew andbeing maintained at a normal interior pressure approximately that ofnormal atmosphere pressure, and a second part pressurized atapproximately the pressure of the ambient water, said second part beingin direct communication with the ambient water and in indirectcommunication with said first part of said element, and a secondindependent element constituted by spherical portions assembled in awater-tight and pressure resisting manner to house an engine, saidsecond element being provided with a retractable snorkel, and means foractively connecting said engine compartment with propulsion meansmounted on exterior supports, and an escape chamber joined to said firsttorus shaped element on the one hand and to an independent sphericalescape element on the other hand, a shock resistant and trans parentcasing for the hull, and means for permitting the landing of the crafton the bottom of the sea.

7. A submarine craft as specified in claim 1, in which the elementhaving the general shape of a torus is formed by a plurality ofsections.

8. A submarine craft as specified in claim 1, in which the elementhaving the general shape of a torus is formed by a plurality of rings ofcircular section, atleast some of said rings being similar to eachother.

9. A submarine craft as specified in claim 2, in which the surfaces ofsaid rings are portions of the surface of a torus.

10. A submarine craft as specified in claim 2, in which the surfaces ofsaid rings are portions of the surface of a cylinder.

11. A submarine craft as specified in claim 2, in which the surfaces ofsaid rings are portions of the surface of a sphere.

12. A submarine craft as specified in claim 1, in which the axis of theelement having the general shape of a torus intersects the generatingsurface.

13. A submarine craft as specified in claim 3 wherein the element havingthe general shape of a torus comprises a non-pressurized compartment,the pressure within said compartment normally being approximately thenormal atmosphere pressure, and a pressurized compartment at at pressureapproximately equal to the pressure of the surrounding ambient Water,said pressurized compartment being in direct communication with theambient water and in indirect communication with the non-pressurizedcompartment.

14. A submarine craft as specified in claim 13 wherein at least a partof the non-pressurized compartment is the engine-room.

15. A submarine craft as specified in claim 1,. comprising a casing forthe protection of the hull against shocks, said casing being a hockresistant and transparent :material.

16. A submarine craft as specified in claim 15, said casing comprisingmeans to ensure anu approximately equal pressure of the ambient water atits inner and outer surace.

17. A submarine craft as specified in claim 5 wherein, the sections ofthe element having the general shape of a torus are formed by aplurality of rings of circular section, at least some of said ringsbeing similar to each other, the

surface of each ring having, in a section perpendicular to the generatorcircle of the torus located in the central plane of the ring, acurvature the concavity of which is directed towards the center of saidcircle and the radius of which is less than that of the equatorialcircle of the torus.

18. A submarine craft as specified in claim 6 wherein, the sections ofthe element having the general shape of a torus are formed by aplurality of rings of circular section, at least some of said ringsbeing similar to each other, the surface of each ring having, in asection perpendicular to the generator circle of the torus located inthe central plane of the ring, a curvature the concavity of which isdirected towards the center of said circle and the radius of which isless than that of the equatorial circle of the torus.

19. A submarine craft comprising a hull, one first element of which isindependent, water-tight and adapted to withstand external ambientpressure, and has the general shape of a torus constituted by sectionsand frames and flanges to ensure water-tight and pressure withstandingjunctions between said sections, said element being the living andWorking compartment of the crew and maintained at a normal interiorpressure being approximately that of the normal atmospheric pressure, acommunicating lock chamber between said non-pressurized element and asecond independent element pressurized at the ambient pressure of thewater and in direct communication with the ambient water, said secondelement being constituted by spherical portions assembled in awater-tight and pressure resisting manner, and a third independentelement similarly constituted housing an engine, said third elementbeing provided with a retractable snorkel, and means for activelyconnecting said engine to propulsion means mounted on exterior supports,and an escape chamber communicating on the one hand with said firsttorus shaped element and with a spherical independent escape element onthe other hand, a shock resistant and transparent casing for the hulland means to permit the landing of the craft on the sea-bottom.

20. A submarine craft as specified in claim 19, wherein the sections ofthe element having the general shape of a torus are formed by aplurality of rings of circular section, at last some of said rings beingsimilar to each other, the surface of each ring having, in a sectionperpendicular to the generator circle of the torus located in thecentral plane of the ring, a curvature the concavity of which isdirected towards the center of said circle and the radius of which isless than that of the equatorial circle of the torus.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,281,414 10/1918 Pegram 114l6 X1,359,513 11/1920 Leathers 11416 X 1,808,599 6/1931 Galeazzi 114163,356,055 12/1967 Link 114-16 3,356,056 12/1967 Lehmann 114-16 X MILTONBUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

TRYGVE M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner.

